JTB Sunrise Tours
I took the 'Nara Afternoon' tour on June 11, 2007 for about 6,600 yen. The tour picks you up from a pre-arranged hotel in Kyoto and it takes about a one-hour bus ride to get to Nara.
The stops are Todaiji Temple (largest wooden bldg), Kasuga Shrine, and Deer Park. I had heard about Deer Park and I was looking forward to my own up-close encounter with some deer. I sure wasn't disappointed! Expect to be completely accosted by the deer if you attempt to feed them the deer biscuits.
The rest of the sights were nice, but very touristy. At Todaiji Temple there is a very large statue of Buddha. There is a hole in a wooden column that is the same size as the Buddha's nostril. It was really cute to watch the children try to squeeze through the hole.
I really like JTB tours, and I have taken quite a few. They offer comfy buses and friendly, English speaking guides. The price is pretty good, too considering how far you're traveling.
I had a lot of fun, and I highly recommend JTB Sunrise Tours.
From journal Summer Backpacking in Japan, 2007